Is studying all the books of terminology, *al-Nukat*, *Fath al-Mughith*, and *Tadrib al-Rawi* sufficient for engaging in the craft of hadith and judging it?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Well, Shaykh, this is a phenomenon that is always present, meaning you are aware of it regarding those who are new to seeking knowledge and new to this science. We see, for example, some students of knowledge who, after reading some books of terminology, proceed to engage in the matter of tracing hadiths to their sources, verification, and judging hadiths, among other things. If we suppose thatThe student : one has studied all the books of terminology, *al-Nukat*, *Tadrib*, *Fath al-Mughith*, and the books of al-‘Iraqi, and so on, is this sufficient, Shaykh, for engaging in this craft of judging hadiths as authentic or weak? Does this mean that doing so is sufficient for him, or is there a word from you for such young men that would, if Allah wills, stop them at the truth and the correct path, and in what pleases Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He)?
The Shaykh : May Allah reward you.
The questioner : And you as well.
The Shaykh : As for engaging in that, it is something that is necessary. But as for being definitive about what his understanding has reached, that is what students of knowledge must refrain from, assuming they have studied the science of terminology theoretically but have not yet become proficient in applying it practically. Therefore, I used to say on such an occasion that we advise our young brothers and those attached to the science of hadith that when they begin to authenticate or weaken hadiths, they should do so for themselves and be patient with themselves for years until they feel that they have reached a position where they can rival those who came before them among the scholars in authenticating and weakening. At that time, let them proceed to benefit people, either in writing or in speech. The way for a person to knowThe student : whether he has reached such a level is to look at many of his tracings and verifications. If, without imitating anyone else among the preservers, scholars, authenticators, and weakeners, his judgments and his agreement with those other preservers prevail, this is evidence that the man has reached a level that allows him to publish and to teach people. But merely having studied the science of terminology, he thinks he has become a practical expert in authenticating and weakening. This is, unfortunately, one of the errors of the young people today in this science. We find an example in one of the last of the foundational sciences, which is the principles of jurisprudence. We see and know that many of those who have studied the principles of jurisprudence make very great errors in the process of applying issues of jurisprudence and contradict the principles they have read. This is because they have not mastered applying them, and perhaps that is due to their neglect of this science and their lack of attention to applying the branches to the principles. Likewise, those who study the science of hadith terminology must be cautious and slow in issuing judgments of authentication and weakening until they reach the status I mentioned earlier.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : This is all I have.
The Shaykh : May Allah reward you.
The questioner : And you as well.
The Shaykh : As for engaging in that, it is something that is necessary. But as for being definitive about what his understanding has reached, that is what students of knowledge must refrain from, assuming they have studied the science of terminology theoretically but have not yet become proficient in applying it practically. Therefore, I used to say on such an occasion that we advise our young brothers and those attached to the science of hadith that when they begin to authenticate or weaken hadiths, they should do so for themselves and be patient with themselves for years until they feel that they have reached a position where they can rival those who came before them among the scholars in authenticating and weakening. At that time, let them proceed to benefit people, either in writing or in speech. The way for a person to knowThe student : whether he has reached such a level is to look at many of his tracings and verifications. If, without imitating anyone else among the preservers, scholars, authenticators, and weakeners, his judgments and his agreement with those other preservers prevail, this is evidence that the man has reached a level that allows him to publish and to teach people. But merely having studied the science of terminology, he thinks he has become a practical expert in authenticating and weakening. This is, unfortunately, one of the errors of the young people today in this science. We find an example in one of the last of the foundational sciences, which is the principles of jurisprudence. We see and know that many of those who have studied the principles of jurisprudence make very great errors in the process of applying issues of jurisprudence and contradict the principles they have read. This is because they have not mastered applying them, and perhaps that is due to their neglect of this science and their lack of attention to applying the branches to the principles. Likewise, those who study the science of hadith terminology must be cautious and slow in issuing judgments of authentication and weakening until they reach the status I mentioned earlier.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : This is all I have.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.